Business Energy Management Systems
An energy management system (EMS) provides an effective solution to improve any organisation’s internal energy management and sustainability. These systems can help you lower your energy usage and water consumption by deploying the correct strategy combined with the right software, ultimately helping you cut costs. Furthermore, all of this can be achieved alongside meeting any existing operational expectations.
In this guide
You may be a building manager, businessman or property owner, and wish to create new sustainable opportunities for your business, this is where an EMS really comes in to its own. In this guide we will cover the following:
What is an energy management system?
As the name suggests, an energy management system (EMS) is a system that manages energy use. The technology is vitally important to businesses and property owners who want to decrease their energy usage to save money on costs. The management systems are able to monitor how much electricity, gas and water is being used during any given period through its design. Power usage patterns can be tracked through statistical reporting, helping companies make informed decisions on how to save money on business energy.
Briefly put, energy management is the process of collecting data on where, when, how, and why a business makes use of energy. The data is then analysed, and key decisions can be made on how to improve overall energy efficiency, reduce total costs and increase sustainability. This becomes especially important as gas and business electricity prices continue to soar.
Dedicated software can be installed to track meter readings within most modern energy management systems. Additionally, they can also scan complex invoices and compile data into an easy to understand sensible format. This enables business owners to get on top of a building’s power and water consumption without having to dig through copious amounts of paperwork.
Benefits of energy management software
Energy management software provides the right solution to supporting energy efficiency initiatives. Businesses have two options with software which are as follows:
- Purchase off the shelf software
- Have bespoke software built for your company needs
Purchasing off the shelf software is normally the more affordable option and provides most of the features to monitor energy correctly. However, businesses that have the means should consider investing in custom software that can be developed to meet the unique needs of an organisation.
It is important to highlight that most off-the-shelf energy management software solutions can actually work just as effectively as custom software. Here are some of the benefits you can expect from energy management software:
Reduce overall energy costs
Through the use of systematic energy management software, business owners and property managers can reduce costs by almost 33% from their total bill. This is a significant saving, and all business types and sizes can certainly benefit, especially ones that are larger. Even a very basic system is able to guarantee average savings of at least 10% each year.
Increase business productivity
You can improve your business’ overall productivity by reviewing the building’s energy usage. This then gives you valuable data to redirect energy sources to where they can be used more productively. This is applicable to businesses where certain departments could benefit from being able to access additional power sources while others are able to operate on less energy. Manufacturing and engineering are great examples in this regard.
Improve your brand image
Deploying an energy management system can help you improve your brand image. This Is made possible as the work you are undertaking is environmentally friendly and can help meet UK sustainability targets, such as becoming net carbon zero by 2050. Customers, clients, employees and those within the supply chain will recognise your efforts in pushing towards a sustainable future. Your brand is likely to be praised for its optimism towards quality planning and management in the years to come.
Improve morale within the organisation
Businesses that actively work to improve processes for their employees, customers, and even the rest of the world for that matter, can really benefit. These forward-thinking changes can have an incredible impact on the work culture of the company, allowing all areas to flourish and prosper. This also goes hand in hand with increasing productivity.
What should I look for within energy management technology?
The use of energy needs to be constantly monitored, analysed, controlled and sustained. This will result in a concentrated business setting that is pushing towards becoming sustainable and also increasing overall productivity. These energy management technologies can be seen in various shapes and sizes, but almost all of them have the same goal. When you are trying to find the right EMS for your organisation, make sure that the software you choose excels in the following:
- Being user-friendly
- Highly secure
- Reliable at all times
- Scalable (for future proofing)
Implementing a business energy management strategy
To really take advantage of your energy management software, you must check that it is compatible with your business management strategy. What is a business energy management strategy?
A business’ energy management strategy is a documented plan that focuses on how energy will be managed to meet various policy objectives. To ensure the plan or strategy works in its intended way, you will need to include clear and attainable goals. The plan should be able to provide answers to the following questions:
- Who will oversee energy management for the organisation?
- Are there any energy consumption regulations that apply to the organisation? If yes, how can we ensure that we are compliant?
- To take advantage of energy saving opportunities, is an investment requires? If yes, how much will it cost?
- Where does the organisation currently source its energy from – and are we content with the service?
- Do we have access to the best energy management software on the market?
- Do our employees support our energy management goals?
- Do we have an effective internal and external communications network to keep everyone informed about the organisation’s energy-saving initiatives?
- Are we able to undertake regular reviews to ensure that the management strategy is kept on track?
Lastly, it may also be worth considering a business energy audit to improve energy efficiency and help lower the organisation’s annual costs.